All five of us reached the summit successfully after camping out the previous two nights at Middle Fork Lake and Lost Lake. I can say with confidence that this is only the beginning of my climbing career. (;

Storms came in around 3pm to clear the skies and make for an awe-inspiring sunset in the New Mexico Sangres. I used a new trail that's being built with stimulus funds (to reduce hiker impact on vegetation etc). It will eventually switchback all the way to the Walter/Wheeler saddle. Anyway, great times!

My eleventh state highpoint. I camped in the parking lot at the Bavarian and got on the trail at 6:45 a.m. It took me 3 hours to get to the top and 2 hours to get back down. I also hit Mt. Walter while I was up there since it was so close. Then I shot over to Black Mesa. Overall, Great half-day hike but very steep!

Camped out in the parking lot by the Williams Lake Trailhead. Hiked and summited using the Williams Lake Trail. Met some nice people at the top, they suggested taking Bull of the Woods Trail back to the parking lot. It was a beautiful trail, but took longer than expected. We ended up at the Taos ski area and had to hike back up to the Williams parking lot via a dirt road. Overall a 10+ day!

HWat Hotoven said. this was was my first high peak and it was awesome. the altitude beat my ass. gotta train harder with cardio. awesome views and the golden-mounted ground squirrels on top were awesome. met a lot of cool people

Couldn't have asked for better weather. We met some great folks from all around and had a nice break on top. I got a small headache but what can you say. I'm a flat lander! Awesome views and a nice cannon on top?

Camped at the Twinning camp in the middle of Taos Ski Village. Stated from Williams lake TH at 0635hrs, reached Williams lake by 0730hrs, and the summit 0835hrs. Summit was totally fogged in, pretty windy and viewless at the top of NM. There were already 4 persons on the summit when i arrived. Took a few shots and descended quickly to Williams TH. Halfway down the weather cleared up spectacularly. I should have started out one hour late and would have gotten the million dollar summit view. Anyways, lingered for long while at Williams lake taking in the view before heading out.

Escaped from the concrete jungle to spend 3 wonderful days around the Williams Lake area, took direct route to Wheeler Peak the last day, started at dawn and climbed into the sun as it came over the ridge, wonderful, beautiful day, with the typical 40 mph winds at the top!! Doing it with my son made the time extra special.

My wife and I had a great hike on June 21. Camped at Taos Ski Valley, left camp at 8am, meeting strong gusts at exposed ridges above Bull of the Woods, but great views and plenty of sun. La Cal basin was full of Marmots. I missed the snow free easy traverse through alpine shrubs and snow fields in La Cal basin, which cost us 500 extra feet following trail down to bottom of valley-- trail still buried in snow, so it was a slog up the switchback ridge to Mt. Walter. It takes a bit of maze work, but coming down we traversed this section off trail without losing alt. A short, steep snowfield below Walter is a bit dangerous without climbing gear -- stay to right/west on way up and over knob above La Cal basin to avoid (again we corrected on way down). Otherwise trail on ridge at 13k is either snow free or low risk. We made it to summit about 2pm and took our time with no lightening threat; just occasional strong gusts. A few young, strong climbers came up from Williams Lake-- strongly suggest very good conditioning and acclimatization for that route. Made it back to camp at 6:45 pm -- long day... Bull of Woods route is very exposed with several hours above treeline at top of NM, so again warning on weather -- we lucked out with short notice pre-monsoon and hot weather with good meltoff -- suggest post-monsoon in Sept or very good forecast -- would not want to be caught up there in a Tstorm.... Last time we were on top of Wheeler was 17 years ago in early Oct of '93-- perfect weather, no other people -- following weekend dumped 2ft on TSV. I posted photo album-- http://www.summitpost.org/album/631747/Wheeler-Peak-NM-17-years-later-.html --great trip.